


Boys will be boys

by storiesfortravellers



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Brotherhood, Brothers, Family, Gen, Kid Fic, Mild Angst, Sam And Dean Act Emo, Time Travel, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-30
Updated: 2012-09-30
Packaged: 2017-11-15 08:12:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/525085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesfortravellers/pseuds/storiesfortravellers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean and Sam run into child-versions of themselves from the past and have to take care of them; it turns out caring for two Winchester boys is not exactly easy. It also reminds Sam and Dean of some longstanding issues, and creates new ones as well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The idea for this was inspired by a prompt at comment-fic on lj: the prompt was child!Dean and child!Sam are brought to the future where Dean and Sam have to take care of them
> 
> This is a work in progress still. Originally published on lj. Set a couple of seasons ago.

Dean and Sam looked at the two children who suddenly appeared in front of them, the 12-year-old and the 8-year-old. Even Cas tilted his head at them with curiosity.

The younger versions of ... them.

"It can't be," Sam said, as he and Dean gave each other confused and rather terrified looks. But as the 12-year-old recovered from his astounded fear, he shoved the younger boy behind him, drew a knife from his boot, and got into a defensive stance against the three large men as he snarled, "Get away from us or die!"

"We're not going to hurt you," Sam said, trying to calm them, though he and Dean were both thinking 'Unless you're evil....'

"They are exactly who you believe them to be," Cas said, still staring at them. Dean and Sam stared at Cas for a moment, and then Dean turned to the two kids and said, "Relax, it's okay. Dean and Sam, right?" Dean felt as he said this that words had never seemed stranger coming out of his mouth.

Young Dean stayed in front of young Sam as he demanded, "How do you know that? How did we get here?"

Adult Dean thought fast. "We're friend of your dad's. John Winchester's your dad, right? See, ahh, a w-i-t-c-h cast a s-p-e-l-l to transport you somewhere far away, thinking that your dad would freak out if he thought you were alone. But your dad's really smart so he sent us here to take care of you until you can go home again."

Young Dean looked hesitant but he seemed to buy the story. Young Sam came out from behind Dean and said, "Where's Dad?"

"Hunting," adult Sam answered.

"He's on a business trip," young Dean corrected, shooting darts of a glare at adult Sam.

"Right, that's what I meant," Sam said reluctantly, looking at the pleased ignorance that rested on his younger self.

"Look, kids, you're gonna be just find. We'll get you back as soon as we can," Dean said, "But the three of us are just gonna talk in the corner for a minute. Grown-up stuff."

Young Dean objected, "I'll come, too."

"Uh, no, this is just some um ... unrelated matter that we need to discuss in private."

Young Dean rolled his eyes and muttered "Bullshit" under his breath, but he remained with little Sam as the adults went to the far corner of the hallway to whisper.

"What is going on here?" Sam asked worriedly.

"I do not know. But it is clear that they are you. A soul cannot be faked, and I can see yours."

"Then how?"

"I will need to look into this," Cas said calmly.

"Yeah, I'd say that's a priority," Dean answered.

"Agreed. In the meantime, make sure they don't die. For obvious reasons," Cas said.

"The space-time continuum will explode if they do?" Dean asked.

"Of course not," Cas said, looking at him strangely, "But if they die, so do you."

"And all the things we've done would be reversed?" Sam asked.

"Of course not," Cas said. "Don't you know anything about time travel?"

"No."

"Just find out what you can, Cas," Dean said. "We'll take care of ... ourselves. But Cas? Leave by the door, so you don't scare the rugrats."

Cas nodded and exited, as Dean turned back to the young versions, who were now considerably more relaxed and a bit bored.

Dean gave them a wide grin and said, "My name's Deke and the Ginormotron over here is my brother Stan. We're all gonna have a great time together."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For simplicity, characters will be referred to as adultSam and adultDean and youngSam and youngDean unless their identity is obvious.

Young Dean seemed to believe them for the most part, and though he still tended to put his body between young Sam and "Stan" and "Deke," he was now willing at least to go to the bathroom and leave Sammy in their protection.

"Guess he believes we're hunters," adult Dean whispered to adult Sam.

"Yeah, he's probably thinking we're exactly like dad."

Dean made a face at that but then went over to tousle young Sam's hair as he sat drawing with the crayons they had taken from the nearest diner. Dean smiled and said, "Nah, we won them over with those greasy burgers. You liked those ooey gooey sopping with grease burgers didn't you, Sammy?"

Young Sam nodded happily, eliciting an eyeroll from his older version.

"Nothing's better than burgers!" young Dean agreed as he came back in and drew next to Sammy. He had refused to do "kid stuff" at first, but 'Deke' had convinced him it would be good practice to draw and label all the parts of all the weapons he knew. When that worked handily, adult Sam gave adult Dean a sympathetic look, as if to say _I know how messed up this is._ Adult Dean returned it with a different look, as if to say _Screw you, you emo bitch._

"No, Dean likes girls even better than he likes burgers," little Sam said.

"No I don't."

"Yes you do."

"No, cuz _you're_ a girl, and I don't like you."

Adult Dean snickered at the comment and said, "Good one," as he grinned at young Dean. He soon saw both Sams and his younger self staring at him.

"What are you, my age?" young Dean quipped, not seeming to like that anyone but him might have a joke at young Sam's expense. But hearing this, adult Sam couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter.

A few minutes of quiet drawing passed until young Dean had another comment. "Why does Deke always tell everyone what to do?"

"Because I'm the big brother," 'Deke' answered.

"But Stan's taller," young Dean answered.

"Height's not important," adult Dean said.

"But a big brother should be bigger," young Dean said.

Adult Sam answered, "You know, someday Sam might be taller than you, Dean."

Young Dean rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah, whatever. Not gonna happen."

"It might."

"No way," young Dean said with certainty, "Seriously, if that ever happened, I'd like shoot myself or something."

Adult Sam tried very hard not to laugh as he tried to catch adultDean's eye. But adultDean was studiously avoiding looking back.

 _I always knew the height thing bothered him,_ Sam thought to himself, amused that Dean would be secretly insecure about something so ... dumb.

Adult Dean changed the subject swiftly, though, as he said, "So uh what do you want to be when you grow up Sammy?"

Young Sam answered, "I'm going to go on business trips."

Young Dean gave both men a pointed look of warning, reminding them not to mention hunting. But adult Sam was a little surprised to hear the response. But he was even more surprised to hear little Dean's answer.

"No, Sammy," the boy said, "I'm going on business trips with dad. You're going to study and go to college."

Adult Sam's eyes darted immediately to adult Dean, looking for some shared surprise or confusion. But Dean was again refusing to look at him, though Sam could see his jaw tighten. _He remembers this,_ Sam realized, _I don't remember, but Dean remembers wanting that for me._

Little Sam was considerably less surprised and considerably more annoyed. "No, Dean! I'm going on business trips with you and dad!!"

Little Dean snapped, "Don't be such a crybaby! Business trips are too dangerous. And you're smart. And you're such a weirdo that you like doing homework. You're going to college, Sammy, and don't even think about arguing!"

Little Sam made a face and stabbed angrily with his crayons at his paper, but he stopped debating. Adult Dean reached a hand over to little Sam's shoulder to comfort him and said to young Dean, "Don't be so hard on him. He just wants to be like his dad. I'm sure you can understand that."

Adult Sam watched him say that and could see how hard it was to do, to bare his own hero-worship like that, just to make little Sam feel better.

But little Sam corrected him, "I don't want to be like dad. I'm gonna be just like Dean."

Adult Dean seemed taken aback to hear this, and he finally looked at adult Sam again, briefly glancing up, but this time to see if adult Sam was as surprised and confused as he was.

He wasn't. Adult Sam just gave him a look as if to say, _Yeah, that's what I remember. No use denying it now._

But young Dean just said, "We'll talk about this later, Sammy. Not in front of the you-know-whats."

"I want to go on business trips!" young Sam said.

Young Dean answered, "You don't know how! And as long as I'm around, you won't have to learn. So shut it before I tell everyone that you like wearing girls clothes."

"Jerk!"

"Girl!"

"Enough!" adult Dean said, looking desperate to end the conversation. "Draw quietly for the next ten minutes and I'll go buy some ice cream."

Young Dean muttered, "I don't need you, I'll steal some ice cream before you even know I left."

"I'm sure your dad will be thrilled to hear it," adult Sam said in a faux-innocent voice.

Young Dean's eyes widened for a moment and then he just frowned and said, "Fine. Be control freak douchebags. See if I care."

But a moment later, young Dean looked up at them again, this time a little nervous. He said, "Hey, don't tell my dad what I said okay? About... Sam not going into the family business. Don't tell him I said that, okay?"

Adult Sam tried to figure out what adult Dean was thinking, but though he peered at the wash of emotions on Dean's face, he couldn't figure it out. But the adult brothers reassured young Dean that they would not tell on him for that - but that they WOULD tell on him if he endangered them all by sneaking out of the room.

A few minutes passed, and none of the brothers said much of substance. But before adult Dean left to go buy ice cream at the corner convenience mart, adult Sam stopped him at the door.

"Here I thought college was my idea. My rebellion against the family."

"Sam, do we have to-"

"I'm not mad. I should be. I should feel like you were controlling me without me realizing or remembering. But I don't. I think it's... kind of cool of you. Young you."

"Fine."

"But why did you change your mind, Dean? About me being a hunter?"

"I was just a dumb kid," Dean answered, eyes blazing with annoyance and a hint of unease.

"Just tell me."

Dean sighed and said, "I decided it was safer to keep you with us."

"You mean Dad decided and you -"

"Yeah, Sam, I took his side, how many times do we-"

"I don't believe it."

"What?"

"I don't believe that 12-year-old Dean would tell me to go to college - KNOWING that it went against dad - and that 22-year-old Dean would refuse to. Don't believe it."

"Sam. I didn't understand about demons. I didn't know how dangerous you leaving could be. We learned the hard way what happens when Winchesters try normal."

Sam just stared at him, giving the adult version of the _I'm-giving-you-the-sad-puppy-eyes-until-I-get-what-I-want_ pout they had seen so many times already from child Sam.

Dean rolled his eyes. "I was a dumb kid, Sammy. I stopped believing that you can be safe if you could get out of the hunting life, I stopped believing that I could lie to you forever. And then I changed my mind about you going to college. Though to be fair, I didn't think you would leave home. I figured you'd have to go to a local clown college or something."

Sam smiled wryly. It was as close to an answer as he would get. He stepped back to keep the kids occupied while Dean went for dessert. But Sam was starting to wonder how much he might find out about his brother, now that he was basically babysitting little Dean.


	3. Chapter 3

Sam was not cut out for child care.

He was actually starting to feel sorry for his dad for having to put up with them.

Sam had assumed that little Dean would be the problem. All that attitude, all the smartass comments.

But it turned out that the kid who drove Sam crazy... was himself.

Because it turned out that young Sam was a brat.

If he wasn't moping, he was whining. If he wasn't whining, he was asking questions that he knew there were no good answers for.

And always with the sullen looks. Making a face whenever he didn't get his way.

Sam hated it. Those looks filled him with ... self-loathing.

Because he had never thought of himself that way. Self-centered. Spoiled.

Seriously, how can a neglected kid growing up in motel rooms, with cereal and canned spaghetti as his only food groups, be spoiled?

But he expected to get his way. For little things and big things both.

And every time little Sam acted like a whiny brat, "Stan" would wince. In embarrassment. Because little Sammy was basically humiliating him by acting that way. And he desperately wished young Sammy would knock it off, would just grow up enough to be a little more self-aware.

But Dean - in fact, both Deans - responded readily to his sulks and complaints and pouts. Which made Sam even more resentful, he had to admit.

Because seriously? The kid was making Sam look like a needy baby. And the Deans just fell all over it, like that was the natural and proper way for Sam Winchester to act, like it would be weird to expect anything different.

And all this frustration was on top of the fact that little Sam's behavior was - purely on its own terms - incredibly annoying.

But Sam just clenched his jaw and did his best to ignore it.

Until a few afternoons later. When little Sam was just plain being unbearable.

And the Deans didn't seem surprised by it all.

But little Sam kept following around the taller version, asking "How come you won't answer questions about my dad? Do you have any more books, I'm bored? Why are all your books in Latin? How come we can't do anything fun? Why does everyone keep secrets from me? You guys are jerks, you know that? How come your brother's nicer than you? I don't have to listen to you, you can't make me, Dean said so. How come Dean's allowed to touch the guns and I'm not? Why do you need so many guns? What's the weird tattoo? Why is your hair like that? When is it going to be my turn to ride shotgun? Can I have your dessert? I'm still bored. How come there's nothing to do, if you knew you were taking care of two kids, why didn't you plan something? I'm sick of driving around, this sucks. Leave me alone. I don't like any of you. Can we go to a movie? Will you buy me that? Why aren't we in school? You guys probably didn't even go to school. Where's Dean? Dean says your parents named you Stan because they didn't like you much, is that true? How come we have do this? Why can't we stay here? Why do have to move again? Why can't I go back to school? Where's my shoe? Dean made fun of me. When are we seeing dad? Who are you on the phone with? Is that the same Bobby as Uncle Bobby? Why can't I talk to him? Where's my stuff? Why are you always rolling your eyes? Where's Dean? Dean would let me. Where's Deke? Deke would give me one. Why are we here, it's boring?

Until finally Sam snapped and he reached across the diner booth where they were trying to have a calm, peaceful lunch. He grabbed young Sam by the shoulders, got his own large face right up in the kid's face, and yelled, furiously, "Shut up! Shut up! You annoying little brat, SHUT UP!!!"

And little Sam looked up at him, bewildered and tearful and terribly confused, and though adult Sam knew he should feel guilty, all he could think was _Good, it's about time you thought about something besides your own feelings._

But then there was a motion behind him. And Sam turned his large body around to see that the adult Dean had just barely stopped young Dean in time, and was holding the kid's arms as tightly as he could. Because young Dean was about to nail adult Sam in the head with the napkin dispenser.

"Take a walk, _Stan_!" adult Dean snapped as he struggled to get his younger self under control, "Go cool off."

But Sam wanted to stand his ground, wanted so badly to finally speak his mind in front of the kid. He said, "Forget it, Deke. That kid has been nothing but a huge pain in the -"

And then Dean gave him the look. _The look._

The look that Sam had seen many, many times.

The look them kept Sam safe in countless new schools. The look that kept all but the most suicidal hunters from going after Sam when all those rumors started. The look that even a few creatures had been momentarily cowed by.

The _Don't-fuck-with-Sam look._ The burning hardness in the eyes and animal sneer in the lips that promised a world of slow, vicious, and mind-searing pain if anyone touched a hair on his kid brother's head.

Sam had seen it many times. But he had never seen it directed at him.

And damm if it wasn't one of the scariest fucking things he's ever seen. And for a hunter, that's saying something.

And when Sam got past the initial reaction - stunned and, rather irrationally, actually frightened -- he felt bile swell in his mouth. Like the bitter was choking him.

Because Dean was choosing the kid over him. He was protecting the kid.

And every part of his brain knew that it was idiotic to be jealous of one's younger self. To feel betrayed that Dean would want to protect the feelings of the younger self. To wonder if Dean didn't just desperately wish Sam would have stayed clueless and bratty and adoring of Dean. Totally under Dean's control.

And Sam almost laughed as he realized. _Of course Dean likes the dumb needy child version of me. It's how he thinks of me anyway._

But Sam just tightened his lips and spat, "Yeah, good idea, Dean. I'll go cool off. You have fun with your boys."

And he loathed himself at that moment, because he knew he sounded whiny and needy and jealous, and he knew Dean would read exactly what he was feeling. And Dean would think Sam was being pathetic. And the worst part, Dean would be right.

But Sam didn't even look at Dean's face to see a reaction. He just strode out angrily, and when he got outside, he started running.


	4. Chapter 4

Dean drove the Impala onto the shoulder and slowed to meet Sam's running pace.

"Get in the car, Sam."

"Need some space," he answered.

"Have all the space you need after we talk about this," Dean said.

"Share your feelings with someone else. Maybe call a phone sex line."

"Seriously, Sam! I left two scared kids alone so I could talk to you! Can we please not draw this out??"

Sam halted and looked at Dean's worried face. He rolled his eyes and opened the door and sat in the passenger seat.

"They're used to being alone," Sam pointed out, "they're probably glad to have us not watching us. Them. You know what I mean."

"Yeah, well knowing me, I've already looked through my stuff, stolen half my guns, and found my porn. I mean, he's already-"

"I get it, Dean."

A long silence then as Dean took a turn that would bring them closer to the motel.

Finally, Dean said, "So what was that back there? You don't like your mini-me?"

"He was acting like a brat, Dean."

"He wasn't the only one," Dean muttered.

"What was that?" Sam asked testily.

"Sorry," Dean said, "But it's ... it's hard, you know? I spend a lot of my childhood making sure nobody hurt that kid."

"I know. And if I could change it, if I could stop you from giving up your childhood to take care of me-"

"That's not what I mean. I just mean... it's hard. Every time I try to be nice to little Sam, you get this look on your face."

"If you say I have a bitchface one more time-"

"Fine, let's call it a beepface. But I spent a lot of time protecting him. You have no idea how hard it was to hear someone talk to him like that. Even Dad never talked to you like that until you went all rebellious teen, and by then you were already his height so it didn't seem so.... I just mean, Sam, I don't want to hear you talk to him like that. If it were anyone but you...."

"I know. I lost my temper."

"It's not just that you lost your temper. Seriously, Sam, it's obvious you don't like the younger version of yourself. And that's ... messed up."

Sam struggled to answer. "It's not that I... I like him, I know he's just a kid, but... I guess I never saw myself as being... like that."

"Oh, you were definitely like that," Dean said.

"Yes, thanks for stating the obvious," Sam said.

"No prob."

"Look, it's just hard to see all your faults laid out in front of you. It's hard to... see someone who thinks he can get away with anything, that someone else will fix it no matter what. He doesn't clean up his own messes, he doesn't think that maybe he better stop annoying people when they ask him to, he doesn't think that it's his job to do anything. He's just needy and ..."

"A kid?"

"Little Dean's a kid, too, and he doesn't act like that."

Dean paused again and gripped the steering wheel tightly. "He's more of a kid than he lets on," he said softly.

Sam was silent for a minute and then spoke up, "He doesn't like me."

Dean looked over at him, confused. "Young Sam?"

"Young Dean."

"Well, you were mean to his brother, of course he doesn't like you. I'll talk to him, it'll blow over."

"Young Dean hasn't liked me since he showed up," Sam said, grimacing.

"He thinks we're Dad's hunter buddies. He probably wants to keep his distance. I mean except for Bobby, most of Dad's hunter friends were not exactly Mary Poppins."

"Did you just compare Bobby to Mary Poppins?" Sam smiled despite himself.

"Don't tell him. Or he'll beat us to death with his pretty parasol."

They laughed then, together, for the first time in days. And Sam felt that closeness and found the nerve to say, "Young Dean doesn't like me. He likes you but not me.... When I was a kid, I looked at him like he was the coolest guy in the world. And don't be a prick about it, we both know it's true. So it's hard to see so clearly that he doesn't like... the person I've become."

"That's not how it is, Sam. Young Dean is just a kid. He has no idea what he does or doesn't like."

"I don't even know why I care."

Dean sighed. "Okay, never mention this ever. But... the other night, when I tried to put little Sammy to bed by telling him a story... he cried because it was too scary. And I felt like shit. And then young me came over and called me a dick and made Sammy feel better. And I felt like a bad brother and a mean dude and... kind of maybe a little ...envious. Just a little."

Sam looked at him in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah. It's just ... what we have, it's so complicated, but what they have ... it's simple. "

Sam said softly, testing the waters, "Yeah, I guess if I had just kept letting you take care of my every need and decision, we'd still be in great shape."

Dean looked at Sam with a furrowed brow and then observed, "You think I like little Sammy better than you."

"I wouldn't blame you."

Dean gave a funny smile and said, "Nah. You were right. Little Sam's annoying, you're way more fun. Plus, I can take you to a strip club without getting arreseted."

"Dean, I'm being-"

"Serious. Yeah, I know. Look, Sammy, I don't want you to be like a kid. I don't miss having to let you have your way all the time, or having to do stuff for you."

Sam took a deep breath. "You miss being able to be the big brother. What Dean says, goes. I know you miss that."

"Sometimes," Dean said quietly, "Not usually."

"And you miss... thinking of me as the innocent one. You miss protecting me from the evils of the world... rather than protecting the world from the evils that I'm responsible for."

Dean looked over at him and thought for a long time. Finally, he said, "I miss the time when I thought that a werewolf was the scariest thing out there. But let's face it. Our childhood's sucked. And the fact that I can't shake my old patterns with little-you? It has not a thing to do with our other crap. I like kids. I like little Sam. And occasionally little me. But I don't wish we were like that again, having to relearn all those really hard lessons. So this crazyass jealousy thing?"

"I'll get over it."

"So will I," Dean said, and Sam puzzled over what that might mean.

But Dean said then, "Sam? I know that with the kids here... I've been falling into old patterns. With you. Not young you, I mean you-you. I know I've been telling you what to do, not listening to you, not letting you do stuff.... I know I've been doing all the crap I promised I would try to stop doing."

"It's okay, Dean. I can see how the kids would bring those habits back."

"It's not okay. I'm going to try harder, though."

Sam paused before saying, simply, "Thanks."

Dean nodded as they pulled into the motel parking lot. "Let me go in first, then you'll come in and apologize, and then we'll offer to take them for donuts and cider," Dean said.

Sam raised an eyebrow.

Dean smiled in recognition and said, "Fine, Sasquatch Stan, how do you want to play this?"

"We go in together. I tell them that it won't happen again," Sam said.

"Fine. But we're still doing donuts. Mmm, donuts."

"Then let's go in and get it over with, Homer," Sam said.

Dean nodded and they got out of the car in unison. And Dean said, "Fine. But seriously, if that kid touched my porn, I am so gonna give him a plain, no-icing."


End file.
